This invention relates to tracking systems and, more particularly, to inexpensive solar tracking systems. Collectors, such as parabolic reflectors, have been widely used to gather solar energy and focus the rays of the sun on an object to utilize the heat from the sun.
Various means have been provided in the past to control the movement of the collector to track the path of the sun's rays. Such means have, in general, been expensive to construct and to operate, have required external power sources, and have been inefficient and inaccurate in operation. For example, prior art devices often require complicated braking mechanisms to prevent the collector from rotating out of alignment with the sun. One example of such a prior device is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 1,976,428 issued on Oct. 9, 1934 to J. M. Arthuys et al. Another example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,702, issued June 14, 1983, and assigned to the assignee of the present application.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a highly-accurate, simple and inexpensive control system which uses minimum power.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a control system for a solar tracking device which automatically and continuously points the collector toward the sun's rays without the use of a braking device.
It is another object of the invention to provide an electro-mechanical drive for a tracking system which is powered by a solar charged battery and is energized by a light sensor having a restricted field of view.
It is an additional object of the present invention to further control the speed and amount of rotation of the tracking device by providing a high reduction gear train arrangement connected to and activated by the motor.